Combined carrying case and table



J. MILKOFF COMBINED CARRYING CASE AND TABIJE Aug. 20,1946.

Filed April 5, 1945' IN If EN TOR.

Patented Aug. 20, 1946 .GARRYIN G CASE TABLE I 'JohmMilkofl, New .York,l\l'.f. Application iipfilfi, 1945, Serial No. esewso 1-.Claim.

invention :relates to new and :useful limprovementszinlazcombined zf'olding table and :carrying ic'ase, the invention .:having TfOI'iitS aprincipal object :the provision of Jan improved "device :rof this :character .h'aving itwo 'icomplemental sections which are rhinged ttogether, and which, when in closed position, form :a iconyem'ent carrying case formrti'cleslofzfood,:bathingrsuits,:and:other:parapherna'li-a, and which :may :readily .:be :opened :to provide :a doable ior beach-use, or any :otheridesired purpose.

In many portable picnic tables of this general character, isuttable folding leg structures are adapted to be swung inwardly to the interior of the case, and the two complemental sections folded together to form the portable carrying case. In all of the devices of the prior art, however, the outer surfaces of the folded case form the upper wall of the table when in open position, and accordingly the folding legs, when in folded position, are positioned of the case along with the contents which are to be carried. In accordance with the present invention, however, the surfaces which form the upper surface of the table when in open position form the meeting surfaces when the two complemental sections of the table are closed, and accordingly such upper surfaces of the table, when in open position, are not subjected to wear, or exposure to dirt and other contamination, when the table is closed and in carrying position.

Following this novel arrangement, the outer surfaces of the case, when in folded position, are formed with suitable recesses to receive the folding legs, and accordingly the leg sections are separated from the interior of the case and from the food or other articles carried within the case. The picnic or beach table of the present invention can be readily set up for use, and can, with equal facility, be folded to enable it to be carried from place to place.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the folding table of the present invention when in folded position ready for carrying.

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the table in partly unfolded position, the view also showing certain details of the interior of the case.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the table in set-up position.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the lower surface of the table in partly set-up position.

Fig. 5 is a broken section taken on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a broken section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

within the interior .Referring znow rmore cparticularlyto ithe sdmwing,.:it "will be noted that time folding 'atablfiziflf the present invention comprisesltwo (complementalr sections ;=I10 sand itl which. may, if desired, The of substantially :identical rconstruction. rI-Iinge elements :;I.'2 along the upper edges :of the room-- .plementalzsections, when :in :onen position, doin the :two sections together. {The rapper-(surfaces [I it lof rthe .complemental-semfons :arefthus :in ifacetoeface engagement when the (case is :closed, sand the :lower surfaces ll 5 iform .the 1 outeriwalls rof'lthe closed :case. ":Such upper stantially flat, wand accordingly when the :zcaseis in folded position, form a substantially dustproof seal between such upper surfaces. Thus, the lower surfaces I5 of the sections, when the case is in closed position, form the'outer walls of the case.

The several sections may be formed from any suitable material, such as plywood, sheet plastic, or other suitable material. Each section is formed along one edge thereof with a recess l8 which receives leg I 9, and another recess 20 which receives leg 2|. The precise cross-sectional contour of legs I9 and 2| is a matter of choice, and in the drawing these legs are shown as being rectangular in such cross-sectional contour. They may, of course, be square, round, or otherwise shaped. By forming these legs either rectangular or square, however, the recesses I8 and 20 may be similarly shaped, so that when the legsthey substantially com- Pivot members 22 pass are in folded position, pletely fill the recesses. through openings formed adjacent to the upper terminals of the legs, and the legs may be maintained in open position by means of the usual brace structures 23, each formed of two links which arecentrally pivoted at 24, and are pivoted at their opposite ends to the leg, as shown at 25, and to the table, as shown at 26. The upper ends of the legs are preferably rounded, as shown at 21. v r

The precise length of legs I9 and 2| is a matter of choice, and when the case is designed primarily for beach use, these legs may be relatively short, although if it is desired to provide a table which must be of sufiicient heightto permit the users to sit in chairs, these legs may be lengthened appropriately. It is preferred, however, to form legs 2| of a length slightly less than the width of each section I0 and II,

is preferred to form an of any suitable type.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be noted that portion 21' on the upper rsurfaces I A rare fSMb-- wall of the sections of the structure within each compartment cut that the internal walls in folded position from such compartments 29. By forming leg IQ of the length shown, there imay be further provided a smaller compartment 3| which may be used for the reception of smaller 3 a slot 31. serve to retain the provided on in open position, the upper surfaces of the sec- 1 tions are maintained in a horizontal'position by means of latch 42.

illustrative purposes,

arrangement incidental to a specific application 1 thereof have been arrangement of parts, nor to its but that extensive deviations v 3 r forms the upper wall of the housing for legs [9, and that portions 28 form the housings for legs 2|. This leaves the balance for the reception of articles 29. It will be apparseparate the legs when articles like tableware, which compartment is ;normally closed by means of 'a hinged closure plate 32. Compartment 2 9 v i be closed by means of closuremember 35 which 3 in each section mas may be formed with a flange 36 received within Suitable locking members 40 may engagement for carrying; and a handle 4| be one or both of the sections.

' While one form or embodiment of the inventionhasbeen shown and the construction and disclosed and discussed in detail,rit is to be understood that the invention is limited neither to the mere details or relative specific embodiment shown herein,

from'the-illustrated form or embodiment of the two sections in face to-face width, hinge means along lesser-length than When i and described herein for i 4 invention may be made without departing from the principles thereof,

What I claim is:

A combined carrying case and table comprising two complemental, rectangular sections of the same general size and shape, the length of each section being substantially two times its the adjacent upper marginal edges of the sections to permit the sections to be folded upwardly, causing their upper surfaces to meet in face-to-face engagement for carrying, and in closed relation, a carrying handle associatedlwiththe case, the lower wall of each section having two elongated recesses therein of the width of such section, and a hinged leg of slightly lesser length than the length of the-recess; mounted within each recess, one of such recesses extending from an outer corner portion laterally of the section, and the other of such recesses extending from the other outer corner portion longitudinally of the section, the upper wall of the section being provided with a narrow compartment extending .from adjacent the inner end of the latter recess substantially th balance of the longitudinal edge of the vsectionfthe remaining area of the section providing a second compartment, and slidable closure members on the upper wall of each section for closing such compartments.

JOHN MILKOFF.

means for maintaining the case in open v 

